Ryan and Kristin

How We Met

Kristin and I had our first date on St. Patrick’s Day, 2016, at Carruth Cellars in Solana Beach, California. We opted the more relaxed atmosphere of the wine bar given the occasion and hit it off from there. We both love travel and adventure, so much of our time together has been spent pursuing this shared passion. Fast-forward to one year later, and I set up an elaborate plan to propose to her in the same location where we first saw each other.

how they asked

In the months leading up to the proposal, I began video recording myself purchasing the ring, opening the box when it arrived in the mail, and building a custom ring box.

I asked Kristin’s sister, Heather, In Michigan, to help me gather video recordings of family and friends answering the question, “Do you approve of Ryan proposing to Kristin?” I then compiled all the video into a highlights reel which I planned to share with her in conjunction with popping the question. Kristin loves surprises, so I used some stock footage and created a faux documentary film intro, but then cut to the recorded messages from our friends and family. I coordinated with Carruth Cellars, the wine bar where we had our first date, to show the “film premier” in their new location in Solana Beach, California. The old location was a few blocks down the street. The night before the big day, I had Kristin drop me off at the airport for a “week-long business trip to London.” Instead, I picked up a rental car, a projector and screen, and got ready for the next day.

Our mutual friends, Nicole and Ricardo, invited Kristin to come watch the film premier with them, which included instruction for Kristin to walk (or in her case, sprint) to the old location of the wine bar where I was waiting with ring in hand.